I agree with those that value major league talent as more important. Pretty much only 30% of prospects in the MLB top 100 become long time major league starters. I think the cubs will end up like the Rockies or like the Brewers (given up most runs in their division) with a good lineup, but weak staff. I know they have money, but they can't compete with the whole league to buy pitching. And as far as trading for SP talent with the top hitting prospects, there is still a chance the pitchers don't pan out or get injured.

Last year, it would have been a lot closer, and I probably would've taken the Cubs roster. There's nothing worse than being old, expensive and bad. This year, I don't think it's a topic.
Now if the discussion added minor league prospects into consideration, it would've been an interesting topic, depending on how others valued prospects. Prospects like Anderson, Rodon, Adams and Danish have been able to improve our system, while they have encouraging guys like Bryant, Russell and Baez.

If the same Cubs roster was, say, the Jays or Marlins or someone, this poll would be much different.

You know, up until the Samardzija trade, the Twins and Astros had higher ranked systems than the cubs, and I haven't seen anyone wishing they could trade rosters with them either. Not being envious of the cubs does not Always mean you have an anti-cub bias. I'd also imagine that if the question were trading only farm systems, the answers would be quite different as well. We're not stupid. I can't begrudge anybody for not wanting to give up an elite pitcher and hitter for potential.

__________________
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What is Matter? -- Never Mind!
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If the same Cubs roster was, say, the Jays or Marlins or someone, this poll would be much different.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moses_Scurry

You know, up until the Samardzija trade, the Twins and Astros had higher ranked systems than the cubs, and I haven't seen anyone wishing they could trade rosters with them either. Not being envious of the cubs does not Always mean you have an anti-cub bias. I'd also imagine that if the question were trading only farm systems, the answers would be quite different as well. We're not stupid. I can't begrudge anybody for not wanting to give up an elite pitcher and hitter for potential.

Anyone willing to give up Sale, Abreu, Alexei, Quintana, Webb, Jones, Gillaspie, Garcia, Eaton, and Viciedo (yes, I included him) for the Cubs', Houston's, or Twinkee's rosters is putting too much stock into the unknown and/or undervaluing known qualities. It has nothing to do with it being the Cubs. It is a gamble in any sport, more so in baseball than any other, especially with regard to pitching.

Now if they want to just trade farm systems straight up, I'm helicoptering over into Wrigley to sign the papers before they change their mind. But when you include the major league rosters as well, no thank you, move along.

__________________"I have the ultimate respect for White Sox fans. They were as miserable as the Cubs and Red Sox fans ever were but always had the good decency to keep it to themselves. And when they finally won the World Series, they celebrated without annoying every other fan in the country." Jim Caple, ESPN (January 12, 2011)

"We have now sunk to a depth at which the restatement of the (bleeding) obvious is the first duty of intelligent men." — George Orwell

The Sox advantage is that they have Sale and Abreu at the very top of their list of talented players. That's what makes this a close call. They're top notch, already-established All-Star MLB talents. There are a few other good players too (Quintana, Eaton, A. Garcia). But, there are still a lot of holes around them all the way through the organization.

After that, the advantage swings to the Cubs. The Sox have at least made improvements to their farm system over the dreadful state it was in a few years ago. But, the Cubs are way ahead of us in building an organization full of talent. Not all of them will turn out, but they have enough top prospects stockpiled that odds are that enough of them will turn out to make the Cubs a formidable contender in a few years.

If we're focusing mostly on prospects, one addition that swings the argument in favor of the Sox is the drafting of Rodon. If we're going to pencil in Cubs prospects as future all-stars, then it's fair to say that he might be another ace to go along side Sale.

As far as the Cubs lacking pitching talent in the minors, there's no reason they can't flip some of their surplus of position player top prospects for quality pitching as these players get closer to MLB ready.

Even with Sale and Abreu, it wouldn't surprise me if the Cubs make it back to the playoffs before the Sox do.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdm2662

The Sox had the best farm system in baseball in 2000-01. All I heard was how great everyone was. It didn't exactly work out as planned.

Yeah, we won the World Series a few years later - that's how it worked out. I've seen this comment posted several times on WSI in recent weeks and it makes me wonder if people on this site are viewing 2005 in a total vacuum.

It's not like Kenny totally slapped together the 2005 team overnight. The main core of that championship team were products of the Sox farm system back when it was top rated in the late 90s through about 2001. Buehrle, Garland, Crede, Rowand were all part of that highly rated farm system. Garcia was acquired because we had quality prospects to trade to land him.

Building a solid farm system matters. Not every franchise is like Kansas City.

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WSI Sox Slow Start Excuse-O-Meter- Poor play in spring training doesn't matter (2005!)- It's still April- It's early May- Wait until Memorial Day before worrying about anything- Wait until the weather gets warmer- '83 Sox! '05 Astros!- Still time to turn things around in 2nd half
- In Aug/Sept: Too late to complain about poor performance earlier this season.Special mention: - Blame Sox fans for not showing up to games as soon as the team has one winning streak.

The Sox advantage is that they have Sale and Abreu at the very top of their list of talented players. That's what makes this a close call. They're top notch, already-established All-Star MLB talents. There are a few other good players too (Quintana, Eaton, A. Garcia). But, there are still a lot of holes around them all the way through the organization.

After that, the advantage swings to the Cubs. The Sox have at least made improvements to their farm system over the dreadful state it was in a few years ago. But, the Cubs are way ahead of us in building an organization full of talent. Not all of them will turn out, but they have enough top prospects stockpiled that odds are that enough of them will turn out to make the Cubs a formidable contender in a few years.

If we're focusing mostly on prospects, one addition that swings the argument in favor of the Sox is the drafting of Rodon. If we're going to pencil in Cubs prospects as future all-stars, then it's fair to say that he might be another ace to go along side Sale.

As far as the Cubs lacking pitching talent in the minors, there's no reason they can't flip some of their surplus of position player top prospects for quality pitching as these players get closer to MLB ready.

Even with Sale and Abreu, it wouldn't surprise me if the Cubs make it back to the playoffs before the Sox do.

Yeah, we won the World Series a few years later - that's how it worked out. I've seen this comment posted several times on WSI in recent weeks and it makes me wonder if people on this site are viewing 2005 in a total vacuum.

It's not like Kenny totally slapped together the 2005 team overnight. The main core of that championship team were products of the Sox farm system back when it was top rated in the late 90s through about 2001. Buehrle, Garland, Crede, Rowand were all part of that highly rated farm system. Garcia was acquired because we had quality prospects to trade to land him.

Building a solid farm system matters. Not every franchise is like Kansas City.

Wow, a reasonable post amongst many total homer comments, go figure.

You are spot on, it really becomes, do you take the team with 2 proven Cornerstone players and 1 more , or do you take the team with potentially 6 of them in the farm but really one 1 proven in the lineup (Rizzo).

You are spot on, it really becomes, do you take the team with 2 proven Cornerstone players and 1 more , or do you take the team with potentially 6 of them in the farm but really one 1 proven in the lineup (Rizzo).

You know, up until the Samardzija trade, the Twins and Astros had higher ranked systems than the cubs, and I haven't seen anyone wishing they could trade rosters with them either. Not being envious of the cubs does not Always mean you have an anti-cub bias. I'd also imagine that if the question were trading only farm systems, the answers would be quite different as well. We're not stupid. I can't begrudge anybody for not wanting to give up an elite pitcher and hitter for potential.

I hear you, but I guarantee even if this was just a discussion of farm systems, at least a couple posters would say they wouldn't trade them because the Cubs have a lack of pitching depth or some such thing.

I think one thing to remember about this is that these are Cubs prospects. They're constantly overhyped withe little return. Could this group be different? Sure, but history tells us otherwise. For that reason there's no way I'd swap the rosters.

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"I told you I'd give my left nut to help this team." Paul Konerko